by Chuck Sommers
Monday, Nov 28, 2022
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Venue: Nationwide Arena, Columbus, OH
Where to watch: BSOH, ATTSN-RM
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Golden Knights -265, Blue Jackets +225
FanDuel: Golden Knights -260, Blue Jackets +215
BetMGM: Golden Knights -250, Blue Jackets +200
Caesars: Golden Knights -278, Blue Jackets +222
Season record
Golden Knights: 16-6-1
Blue Jackets: 7-12-1
What an electric start to the NHL season. So much parity, so many good teams through the first 10-plus games, you have every right to be excited! Of course the Vegas Golden Knights and Boston Bruins (and the New Jersey Devils?) are heading the fun charge here as the top two teams in the league, because of course they are. But never count out the Avalanche, you know they're always going to be hanging around and will be eating worlds once they get everyone healthy. But this is a good time to be playing these hockey games, as well. Look no further than our own Doc's Sports on a 14-7-0 run over the first 30 days of the NHL season. There's also ASA, Inc. posting a 12-5-1 mark through the first month. You know you can trust our champion handicappers to get you across the finish line with your NHL bets. Check out our Best Bets page at bigal.com to see what we're throwing down!
Golden Knights - Blue Jackets preview, prediction and analysis
Recent results
Golden Knights: lost 5-1 vs. Canucks
Blue Jackets: lost 3-2 vs. Islanders
Well, so much for good things going on in Las Vegas. Because thanks to a 3-4-1 run over their last eight games, the luster of the Vegas Golden Knights has gone dull just a little bit. Much like how dull their debut was with their glow-in-the-dark jerseys on Saturday. That is just a microcosm of how things have gone a little haywire, especially at home with Vegas as of late. But Vegas is about to have worked on a four-game road trip, and with the league's best road record at 9-1-1, Vegas will try to get back on track Monday against the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets in the lovely state of Ohio.
Well, so much for good things going on in Las Vegas. Because thanks to a 3-4-1 run over their last eight games, the luster of the Vegas Golden Knights has gone dull just a little bit. Much like how dull their debut was with their glow-in-the-dark jerseys on Saturday. That is just a microcosm of how things have gone a little haywire, especially at home with Vegas as of late. But Vegas is about to have worked on a four-game road trip, and with the league's best road record at 9-1-1, Vegas will try to get back on track Monday against the struggling Columbus Blue Jackets in the lovely state of Ohio.
Things have not been rosy for Vegas as of late. After needing a three-goal comeback to beat Vancouver on Monday followed by a dominant win against Ottawa on Wednesday, turkey hit Vegas a little too much over the weekend. Fresh off their Thanksgiving game on Friday with a 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken, Vegas came back the next night at home and was smacked hard by the Vancouver Canucks to the tune of 5-1. Vegas allowed three power-play goals in the first two periods, another sign that the penalty kill is 100% not where it's supposed to be at this current point in time.
When the top guys on Vegas are not producing, it makes everything seem impossible to get out of. Mark Stone and Jack Eichel probably had their worst games in that span of 24 hours and if those two are not playing well, it resonates with the rest of the team. So much so that it puts goaltender Logan Thompson in a very tough spot to try and kill an absurd number of penalties that should not have even happened in the first place. Vegas has gotten dominated in the defensive zone, they haven't been able to clear box and they have not been able to have clean breakouts to generate rush opportunities the other way.
And I think if you are a Vegas fan, not that you would because some of you are absurd to think logically, you had to expect that this bit of losing was going to come at some point. A lot of people felt that Vegas was going to regress harshly with two young goaltenders and a brand-new system. Fortunately for them, the Knights have figured out how to bank points so early in the season that they aren't in danger of falling out of place anytime soon. But that does not mean that they can take Columbus lightly into this game.
The Blue Jackets have lost three of four coming into Monday, but there have been instances where it it shows that Columbus is trending on the right path. Of course, the bulk of that lies with their top reagent prize Johnny Gaudreau, who has seven points in his last five games. There doesn't seem to be any in-between when it comes to Columbus. If they can't score goals in the five or six range, they're more than likely going to lose. In those three losses that I mentioned earlier, Columbus has scored a grand total of four goals while giving up twelve. In their three wins in the last six games, Columbus has scored 16 goals. Whoever is in goal for Vegas in this game must keep Columbus off the scoresheet. Only then will Vegas be able to take advantage of the leaky Blue Jackets' defense and questionable goaltending.
Prediction
I was dead wrong, probably like a lot of other people, about Vegas this weekend. But I firmly believe that going on the road will help this team considering how good they've been on the road this year. They're gonna need to have a bigger effort but I think they can get it done. Golden Knights win 5-2
Betting trends
Golden Knights are 20-7 on the road in the first half of the season the last 2 years.
Golden Knights are 10-1 after allowing 4 goals or more in 2 straight games the last 2 seasons.
Blue Jackets are 46-93 off a one-goal loss to a division opponent in their history.
Projected lines
Golden Knights:
Chandler Stephenson -- Jack Eichel -- Mark Stone
Reilly Smith -- William Karlsson -- Jonathan Marchessault
Paul Cotter -- Michael Amadio -- Phil Kessel
William Carrier -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud
Logan Thompson
Chandler Stephenson -- Jack Eichel -- Mark Stone
Reilly Smith -- William Karlsson -- Jonathan Marchessault
Paul Cotter -- Michael Amadio -- Phil Kessel
William Carrier -- Nicolas Roy -- Keegan Kolesar
Alec Martinez -- Alex Pietrangelo
Brayden McNabb -- Shea Theodore
Nicolas Hague -- Zach Whitecloud
Logan Thompson
Blue Jackets:
Johnny Gaudreau -- Boone Jenner -- Gustav Nyquist
Kent Johnson -- Jack Roslovic -- Trey Fix-Wolansky
Yegor Chinakhov -- Cole Sillinger -- Carson Meyer
Eric Robinson -- Sean Kuraly -- Mathieu Olivier
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Marcus Bjork
Jake Christiansen -- Erik Gudbranson
Gavin Bayreuther -- Andrew Peeke
Joonas Korpisalo
Johnny Gaudreau -- Boone Jenner -- Gustav Nyquist
Kent Johnson -- Jack Roslovic -- Trey Fix-Wolansky
Yegor Chinakhov -- Cole Sillinger -- Carson Meyer
Eric Robinson -- Sean Kuraly -- Mathieu Olivier
Vladislav Gavrikov -- Marcus Bjork
Jake Christiansen -- Erik Gudbranson
Gavin Bayreuther -- Andrew Peeke
Joonas Korpisalo
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Chuck Sommers
About the Author:
Chuck Sommers has camped outside of sportsbooks since he can remember, learning the tricks and nuances of the trade. He still has nightmares of betting $5,000 on the Raiders in the Tuck Rule game but has since turned that to 25 years of veteran handicapping greatness. You can find him mostly in the shadows at the Red Rock or Aliante casinos wondering if the over is cashing on any given Sunday.
